Candidate backed by Palin poised to knock off Alaska senator

The 43-year-old bearded Alaskan who shocked the political world overnight by pulling ahead of Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the state’s Republican primary fashions himself as a rugged individualist who campaigned on weaning Alaska off its dependence on federal largess.

Results on Wednesday showed Joe Miller holding a slim lead of about 1,900 votes over Murkowski, but a winner might not be declared until election officials count as many as 10,000 absentee ballots, which could take several days.